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$150k ‘hostage costs’

The Sudanese government has revealed it spent $150,000 (about 100,000) on "costs associated with the effort" to free Sharon Commins, 32, the Goal aid worker held captive in Darfur for 107 days.

Abdel Baqi al-Jailani, the Sudanese humanitarian affairs minister who oversaw the hostage negotiations, told The Sunday Times yesterday that the money was paid to the local administration in Darfur and tribal elders. It was used for staff, cars and petrol. The minister denied paying a ransom to the kidnappers.

"If we were going to pay a ransom, the ladies would have been released in a matter of weeks," said Jailani. Musa Hilal, a Darfurian warlord, told The Irish Times that the kidnappers were given a ransom of 150,000.

"Hilal is misinterpreting what happened," said Jailani. "Money was paid to the local administration and tribal leaders to facilitate their work. No ransom was paid." It is not known, however,